


Sooner or Later

by ALaRosa



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-08
Updated: 2014-06-25
Packaged: 2017-11-07 07:33:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 16,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/428507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALaRosa/pseuds/ALaRosa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Multi-pairings, one-shot collection. Ratings range, but all of the pairings (for the most part) will be canonically inclined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Flushed: Gray, Juvia

**Author's Note:**

> This was posted on Fanfiction.net but I'm slowly going to be moving everything over here! Sorry if you've read this twice (but not really). ;)

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

 **Author's Note** : Enjoy! I'm trying out a newer fandom of mine. Not my best, but sure to get better with time. I plan on jumping around in pairings.

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:**  Flushed **  
**_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gray/Juvia

_October 30, 2010_

* * *

"He gets naked all the time and you constantly have sex on the brain! I don't know how two people could be even more suited for each other than you guys are! I mean, really! Water and ice! Come on!"

The room roared with laughter.

Juvia was already pink from the alcohol, but her face was even hotter now. They knew? How could they know?

"It's so obvious!" a voice called out in the distance. Fairy Tail was packed today. Impromptu parties weren't rare.

Could they read her mind? Juvia groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

"Knock it off," Gray yelled, lifting a fist to threaten his opponent, whoever it was—he couldn't necessarily see straight. "Don't even talk to me about sexual tension in this guild. Bonehead after bonehead lust after all the girls, so don't even start on the girls wanting the guys! Hey, why have we never had an orgy—"

"Gray-sama, I don't think that's a good idea…" Juvia muttered, trying to pull his drink away from him.

Gray's face was bright red with the amount of alcohol he had drunk, and he was already down to his boxers. All in all, it was a normal night.

"No! I, uh… I! I'll be right back," he said, getting up, with a dangerous wobble, from his bar stool. It was a miracle he could walk.

"Let me help you!" Juvia said, rushing to his side to be his support. "I'm sorry everyone is teasing us, Gray-sama. I feel as if this is all my fault."

"Stop it."

"Stop… what?" she asked, genuinely confused. She didn't realize that they were already in the men's restroom, next to a urinal. Her eyes widened and she pulled away from him suddenly. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"No, just," he grunted, righting himself after his support beam pulled away, "face away but stay here, just in case. Porcelain hurts when your skull collides with it."

"This makes me uncomfortable," she mumbled, turning away. Her face was almost purple.

After he had finished, washed his hands, and dried them off, he paused. Looking in the mirror, he eyed Juvia's reflection. It wasn't as if she wasn't pretty. She was different, but still curvaceous in all the right places. She wasn't a princess like Lucy, nor was she a strong-willed knight like Erza. No, she was… literally, an ice queen, governed by her emotions. Unique. He liked that. Why didn't he recognize this before? Was it that she had been coming on too strong? That he didn't know her well enough before she advanced on him?

"Hey, Juvia?"

"Yes, Gray-sama?" she asked. They made eye contact in the mirror.

"I have an idea."

"Oh?"

Gray turned and walked over to her, nearly colliding into her when he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. With a devious grin on his face, he pulled away after he had made his statement. Good thing he had quick reflexes, though. If not, he wouldn't have caught her before she hit the ground.


	2. Normalcy: Natsu, Lucy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

 **Author's Note** : Enjoy! I'm trying out a newer fandom of mine. Not my best, but sure to get better with time. I plan on jumping around in pairings.

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:** Normalcy **  
**_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Natsu/Lucy

_November 2, 2010_

* * *

Lucy stepped out of her bathroom, dressed in her pajamas and ready for bed. It had been a long day, almost impossibly long. Taking jobs by herself put her in awkward positions, wearing odd outfits, and putting on too much of a sweet act for her health. She missed normalcy. However, no matter how much she missed that normalcy, she needed rent money even more.

Weeks had passed since Lisanna had returned. Lucy had barely seen her partner—well, her main partner, anyway. It was odd but she didn't necessarily mind. If any of her important friends had been "dead" for years and suddenly came back, she would spend every waking moment with that person—she would probably suffocate that person with her unwavering attention and adoration.

So, when she didn't see Natsu for a while, she couldn't be jealous. She had been lonely, though, even if she wouldn't admit that out loud.

Lucy frowned. She missed Natsu's antics. She missed the feeling of being wanted, her little ragtag team of friends randomly showing up at her—

"Hey, Luce," said a cheery voice.

She screamed; she couldn't help it. "What the—"

"It's just me," Natsu said defensively, holding up his hands.

"What are you doing here at," she glanced over at the clock on her nightstand, "midnight?"

Her scandalized look did nothing to deter him. "I can't come visit?" he pouted.

Lucy moved to sit at her desk. "Don't you have better things to do? I don't know, like sleeping?"

"Maybe, but I kinda missed seeing your goofy face," Natsu said, shrugging.

She looked away, her face heating up at his words. "I think you have that backwards."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, nothing."

There was a lengthy pause of silence.

"So, what did you want?" she asked.

Natsu plopped down on her bed, kicking off his sandals.

"Nothing."

Lucy was officially confused. Out of everywhere he could possibly be… why here in her apartment? This man addled her brain.

"Got any food?"

"Not really, but, if you want to find—"

"Can I stay here tonight?" he asked as if he didn't even ask his previous question.

She furrowed her eyebrows. She could have focused on the whirlwind of questions, but she chose to look for an underlying meaning. "Did something happen?"

He shook his head. She sat down next to him. Something about his demeanor reminded her of a child that wanted to stay in his parents' bed because of a nightmare. She couldn't shake that feeling, even if he denied anything being wrong.

"Did you have fun with Lisanna these past few weeks?"

"Yeah."

It was like pulling teeth to get information out of him.

She almost didn't want to ask: "What did you do?"

He thought for a few seconds then replied, "Walked, went to places we used to as kids, talked about a whole lot of stuff, ate…"

She frowned. "Sounds… romantic."

"How do you figure?"

She didn't want to say it, but… "That sounds like a date, Natsu."

"Huh. I've never really been on one before, so I wouldn't know."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Why would I be?"

"Nothing." He still watched her expectantly. "Nevermind. I shouldn't have asked."

"Well," he said, lying back on her bed, "I came back here. Let's go to sleep."

Lucy grumbled a bit about how improper this whole situation was, but at least Happy wasn't around to tease her. For two people who were definitely not a couple, he sure came back to her like he was hers.

She flipped off the light, glad he wasn't bugging her about food still; she walked over to her bed and sat down next to him. There was a dull glow of light from the streetlamps outside, bringing a soft light to the room; it was enough to outline his face, which she caught herself staring at. Natsu pulled off his vest but left on his scarf, even more of a comfort. He smiled at her in a way she couldn't quite describe, but it pulled her towards him. She wrapped her arms around him in an impromptu hug that she knew he wasn't going to return. When she pulled away, he was looking at her more intensely. She lifted the covers and he followed her under.


	3. Secret: Natsu, Lucy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

 **Author's Note** : Enjoy! I'm trying out a newer fandom of mine. Not my best, but sure to get better with time. I plan on jumping around in pairings.

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:** _ _Secret_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Natsu/Lucy

_November 7, 2010_

__

* * *

 

"You did all of this for me?" Lucy asked. She tried to keep the tears from her eyes, coughing softly to mask the sob that was threatening to bubble up her throat.

"Of course, Luce!" Natsu said, clapping his hand on her shoulder. "We're your friends! You deserve the best for your birthday!"

"I'm surprised you kept this a secret from me," she mused, looking around her apartment. "I mean, to pull this off in my own home is one thing, but when you're barely away from me at the same time… that was quite a feat."

"And you doubt my abilities to do something like that?" After Lucy's blank stare, he laughed, pulling her into his arms. "I had help. I can't get all the credit. I just wanted your birthday to be special."

"It already is," she responded as they backed out of the hug. She kissed his cheek. "Next time, though, could you have it in a location that's not where I need to live? We're going to be cleaning this up for weeks."


	4. Shenanigans: Natsu, Lucy, Gray

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

**Author's Note** : Enjoy! I'm trying out a newer fandom of mine. Not my best, but sure to get better with time. I plan on jumping around in pairings.

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:**_ _Shenanigans_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Lucy/Natsu, Gray

_November 7, 2010_

__

* * *

 

Lucy was supposed to be keeping watch, being a "pretty little guard" as her boyfriend told her, but she couldn't stop laughing. Her laughing was going to be the dead giveaway that would ultimately end in their capture. Gray would wake and the whole jig would be up. To their advantage, he was passed out cold after one too many alcoholic beverages. The couple wasn't so far behind, but they were at least conscious.

"Shh, Luce!" Natsu said, chuckling. He had to admit, this was hilarious, too. "You're breaking my concentration!"

"That doesn't take much," she responded, laughing while she watched Natsu draw. Lucy had to turn and cover her mouth when she realized what Natsu was actually drawing, motion-lines and all; she didn't want to loudly guffaw or screech in laughter—she didn't know what was actually going to come out of her mouth.

The slumbering Gray had no idea what hit him until the next day, when Mirajane nicely pointed out that his face was the canvas of a crudely drawn penis. Gray knew where he had to go to apprehend the culprits, but he had to live down the fact that he walked through town from his apartment to get to the guild first.


	5. Wet: Gray, Juvia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahead!

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

 **Author's Note** : Enjoy!

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:** _ _Wet_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gray/Juvia

_December 5, 2010_

__

* * *

 

It was love at first sight. For her.

For him, it took a while. A long while. But it took.

How they found themselves locked in a closet in the middle of a loud, boisterous Fairy Tail gathering was beyond them. Neither of them could remember the originating reason for the celebration, either, but that didn't matter when her hand was working its way down his pants or when his breath was deliciously icy against her neck as he showered her with attention.

It had all started with him whispering those seductive words in her ear. She was sold from then on out—like she needed much persuasion.

His subconscious aversion to clothing made her job easier, with much of his skin already at her disposal to leave wet trails with her tongue or kisses that left little red marks in their wake.

Her inclination to actually wear clothing drove him up a wall. "Too much, too much," he would pant as his hands slid across her skin. She would shiver, melting into his touch. The temperature shifts between them were dangerous.

When they first began meeting in secret like this, they found it easier to simply rendezvous at either's apartment where they could lie around naked all day without problem. They liked each other more that way, without barriers or false pretenses. Also without the eyes of every single member of Fairy Tail staring, wondering if this was the end result of a love potion gone awry—again.

Her apartment was preferred, due to how wet everything got in the throes of passion. "Wet in both senses of the word," he would joke, only to receive a harsh shove that would topple them both over the edge of the bed.

The light flickered off and on in the tiny closet, swinging precariously after Gray had hit his head against the object initially entering. This was the only light they had.

Juvia crouched, balancing on the balls of her feet, directly in front of him—like there was anywhere else she would be. With a pleased smile, one that flickered in and out of his sight, she reached forward to the fly of his jeans. After undoing the button, she unzipped the jeans slowly, making eye contact with the ice mage. She held her palm flat against his lower abdomen, fingers already below his waistline, as she unzipped, she was extra careful not to snag; he never wore boxers anymore.

He grabbed her wrist to move her faster, but she wouldn't have that. Fisting the fabric covering his legs, she dragged the offending article of clothing down, agonizingly slow, making sure he would feel the friction against every hair follicle, every inch of his skin that was already electrified by her touch. He growled, begrudgingly accepting his need to be patient, as he watched her through half-lidded eyes. She flickered in and out of focus. Juvia held the cards, palming his growing erection, rocking it slowly. He hissed her name into the dense air of the closet, only to gasp and rein it back into his mouth when she wrapped her lips around his dick.

It was as if he were watching a movie unfold through snapshots that were getting dirtier with every picture.

It didn't take much prompting, with that velvet tongue of hers, to raise the urgency of the situation. He stopped her, needing to feel her warmth, not her lips, around him when he did come. When she stood at full height, he grabbed her by the hips and hoisted her up. Switching positions, he pressed her up against the wall, breasts at eye-level. With the wall to hold her up, he made good use of his hands; sliding down the straps of her dress, he freed her breasts from confinement. When he went to hike her skirt up, the lack of cloth he expected to feel sent an unanticipated shiver down his spine.

"Nothing?" he breathed in amazement. Juvia's responsive, sultry giggle was muffled by her mouth's heated capture. How he managed to crane his neck just so and still be passionate made her reciprocate in earnest, grinding against him.

With a steady, guiding hand, Gray brought them as close together as they possibly could; he filled her in a familiar, yet startling manner she had yet to be accustomed to. She loved every minute of it, soaring high above the clouds. They needed this. They thrived on this.

Juvia's overzealous attitude, when it came to Gray, transferred very well over into their sex life.

Her dress was pooled around her waist and her back was receiving a number of scratches from the wall behind her, but the rhythm and motion and feeling of Gray all around her was enough for her to ignore the discomfort. Complaining would mean they would need to stop, and that was something she didn't want to risk. Juvia was distracted even further by his lips latching onto one nipple, then the other, alternating between sucking and nipping the rosy flesh.

As strong as Gray was, he didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep Juvia up against the wall—not long, apparently; his legs were shaking, and the feeling of almost being there, yeah, right there, just a little more, was enough to make him unceremoniously fall backwards onto his ass with a painful thud. Between the panting and moaning, partially in pain and partially in pleasure, credit needed to be given to both Juvia and Gray for not stopping even once. Not even for her cheerful laughter, or for the string of curses that fled his mouth at impact. Kisses were bestowed in comfort, though they were distracted by the growing pressure between them.

Juvia was the first to come, retreating against his chest with a stifled gasp. She dragged her fingernails down from his shoulders that she had been holding, her head on his torso as he continued to pump up into her. Where, in some cases, a woman would arch her back in pleasure, Juvia would crawl deeper into herself, leaning forward, huddling against him. Gray would see each distorted line of her face, her mouth slightly open, her eyes screwed shut, as she rode out her orgasm. Her contracting muscles spurred him further until he couldn't handle the pressure anymore. He choked out her name, the hands on her hips reaching up to her back to bring her even closer.

They rested, the echoes of their heavy breathing soothing.

When Juvia had caught her breath, after a few long minutes, she whispered, "I'm surprised we were able to fit on the floor, Gray-sama."

"My legs aren't entirely bent, and my pants are still kind of on," he grunted in response, shifting to sit up. This proved to be more difficult than expected.

"Oh," she responded, giggling softly. "Is that why we fell?"

"One of the reasons," he responded, reaching a hand up to run it through her hair. "But you're gonna need to get up so I can move."

"The others must be wondering where we went."

"They may be, but they can kiss my ass, which is going to be hurting tomorrow."

"My back has seen better days," Juvia responded, gasping softly in pain when Gray's hand began to seek out physical injury. She jerked away from his touch.

"I can't see that, but if it's raised enough for me to feel it, you might be bleeding. Let's get out of here," he said.

They both slowly tried to stand, one on wobbly legs, the other simply trying not to fall over again. After righting their clothes, putting them where they should be, they snuck out of the closet unnoticed.

However, it wasn't until they were at the doorway they heard:

"Why is everything in the closet wet? Dammit, Gray! Juvia! Not again!"

They bolted, with renewed energy, out of the guild.


	6. Tactless: Natsu, Lucy, Mirajane

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

**Author's Note** : This one's just plain silly.

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:**_ _Tactless_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Natsu/Lucy, Mirajane

_December 24, 2010_

__

* * *

 

After they had lost interest in terrorizing Gray, which was mainly because Juvia decided to get predatory and screech that penises weren't a good decoration for her beloved's face, they went to sit behind the bar. They giggled for a straight five minutes about the word 'penis.'

Mirajane had been kind enough to make them each another drink, but labeled them 'The Last One' in some kind of magic neither of them found funny. They nursed their drinks slowly—slow for Natsu, excruciatingly slow for Lucy.

Natsu yawned loudly, slouching and sliding down to an uncomfortable position against the wooden paneling of the bar. Lucy nudged him, growling when she caught his yawn.

"Stop it," she said while yawning, "you're making me sleepy!"

"Well, it's your fault for yawning!"

"Yawns are contagious, idiot," she shot back, tipping her glass back to empty it. He followed suit.

"Blah, blah, blah," he responded, grunting when she elbowed him. "What?"

"Shut up and be a good pillow," Lucy replied, leaning against him, her head on his shoulder. Her golden hair draped over his chest. He lifted a hand, twisting the ends of her hair in his fingers with a chuckle. His focus went beyond his fingers to her cleavage. He grinned.

"You know what would be an even better pillow?" he said in a tone that made Lucy involuntarily shiver.

"I don't want to know."

"Aw, come on, Luce," he whined, pushing her to sit upright again, off of his shoulder. She whimpered in a spoiled brat kind of way, only to squeak when he leaned over her in such a way that had him resting his head on her breasts. "Much more padding."

"Padding! I'll have you know—"

"I didn't mean that they're fake, Luce, jeez! I know they're—"

"Know?" she said, voice in a low, threatening tone reminiscent of one Erza would use.

"I, uh, um… shhh, bedtime," he whispered, snuggling against her breasts. Lucy rolled her eyes in response.

Every so often Mirajane would walk past, shaking her head with the type of all-knowing smile that made Lucy's blood boil. She hoped the threatening glares she was shooting the older girl made a decent impact, but the way that Mira was humming happily to herself, she doubted it.

"I love your boobs more than everyone else's," Natsu mumbled happily as he continued to snuggle.

"Even Erza's? Mirajane's? Evergreen's?"

"Yes, yes, and I don't even look at those," the young man responded, happily content where he was.

"Even more than Gray's?" Lucy joked, the alcohol lessening the edge she would've had if he had told her that fact sober.

"Gray's a dude, he doesn't have boobs," Natsu reminded her, chuckling at the thought of Gray having boobs. "It would be a lot more fun fighting him if he had tits."

"Don't say tits, Natsu," Lucy scolded softly, suddenly confused at her actions, finding her hand in Natsu's hair. She looked back and forth between her hand and his salmon-colored spikes, scandalized.

"But you have the nicest tits of all," he responded, giggling like a child. He sat up as he spoke, so he could make half-lidded eye contact with his nakama.

Just when she believed that she was drawn into his stare, that they would experience their first kiss after all of the sexual tension between them grew to be unbearable, and—

—he poked her breast with his index finger. Then again.

At her look of complete and utter shock, Natsu began to peel in laughter, propelling himself to fall back onto the bar floor, away from his haven of comfort. He gasped for air, laughing so hard, that he didn't see her elbow coming until it was deeply dug into his stomach, accompanied by a screech.

After she stomped away, Mirajane approached the dragon slayer. "That's not what I told you to tell her," she said, frowning. "You want this to work, right?"

"What? She has nice tits!" he grinned. "Ah!" he yelped when cold water was dropped onto his face from the glass Mirajane had been holding.

"Next time, you're doing this sober."


	7. Ice Skating: Gray, Juvia

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

 **Author's Note** : Written as a 300-word gift!

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:** _ _Ice Skating_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gray/Juvia

_January 28, 2011_

__

* * *

 

She had been skating rather well, for it being her first time on the ice. Juvia hadn't had the chance, or the ice personally made for her to skate on, in the past.

It had started out as a simple conversation with her—well, she wasn't sure how to describe what they were, more than friends, less than dating—lovers?— important nakama, nonetheless: Gray. Once she had admitted that she never ice-skated before, he froze over a local pond and insisted that he would teach her. After finding a couple pairs of skates they could rent out, they set off.

Gray found it amazing, how someone who manipulated water the way she did never once skated. But, he had witness weirder things, so he kept that to himself. He didn't want to bring up unnecessary things from her past that she normally kept under wraps.

Now, there they were, Gray skating backwards, shirtless, with his hands holding hers. Juvia skated in a simple line in front of him, not needing his hands to hold on to so much anymore, but wanting to feel his warmth.

"See? It's not that hard," he said, seeing that she understood the basic dynamics pretty quickly. "One time, when we all went ice skating, Natsu got so mad at his lack of skill that he melted the rink. Needless to say, we haven't gone back with him since." Gray grinned, finding an extra joy in the way she smiled at his story, yet determinedly kept her focus to skate in a straight line.

"After we've had our fill of skating, how about we head back to your place for a nice bath?" he asked after a few minutes worth of time passed.

Promptly, Juvia lost her footing and pulled them both down onto the ice.


	8. Believe Me: Natsu, Lucy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

 **Author's Note** : Written as a 300-word gift!

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:** _ _Believe Me_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Natsu/Lucy

_January 28, 2011_

__

* * *

 

She had averted her gaze one too many times for his liking. Even if he wasn't a pro at this kind of stuff, he knew that her not making direct eye contact wasn't good. He was a physical person through and through, but he needed her to be with him emotionally—as girly as that sounded—in order for this to be as mind-blowing as humanly possible. He knew that, at least.

"What's wrong? Am I hurting you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "N-No. It's… it's very good."

His hands explored her body in earnest, tweaking and caressing places even she overlooked in her lifetime. He would comment on not being able to gauge how well he was doing based on her reaction, but he didn't want to be mean when she was so vulnerable and open to him.

"Why can't you look at me?"

"I am… looking," she murmured, squeaking against her will when he found a rather sensitive nub of flesh.

"No, you're not," he replied. "Look at me."

Slowly, Lucy brought her eyes forward. His eyes were intense, almost too intense, and she found herself overwhelmed in what she saw there.

Her determination broke again as her eyes shifted.

"Luce! What are you scared of?"

"Scared?"

"Lucy," he began, in a much sterner tone, "are you embarrassed to be here with me?"

"No! Embarrassed, yes. Because of you? Not one bit," she responded, now meeting his eyes in order to convey her point without misunderstanding.

"You're just embarrassed in general? Why?"

"I've never been so… exposed."

"You're beautiful, Luce. Believe me. You have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. You're a guy's fantasy."

"R-Really?"

"You're definitely my fantasy, I'll tell you that. But in that fantasy, you're staring me dead in the eye, whispering the dirty things you want me to do to you."

"Natsu!" she exclaimed, smacking his arm.

"That's alright, that's alright," he breathed, picking up the pace. "As long as you believe me."


	9. Freedom: Erza, Jellal

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

 **Author's Note** : Written for springkink on LJ! Also, this takes place around the time when Jellal's memory was wiped but before he was captured.

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:** _ _Freedom_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Erza/Jellal

_September 10, 2011_

* * *

"I didn't know what to do with myself, those days," Erza spoke, her tone quiet yet loud in the silence of the forest. The rustling of the leaves were soft in the background. "But when I found Fairy Tail, my freedom, I managed to put one foot in front of the other until I was able to walk with my head held high." She shifted from her position of leaning against a large tree, next to him, to make herself more comfortable.

Again, silence. The cool breeze of the late autumn night was enough to chill the mage, but she kept her complaints to herself as she watched the emotional range of Jellal's face change. Going from remembering nothing to everything had to hurt. When Erza began to tell her tale, their tale, he hadn't the faintest idea what to think. Halfway through her story, he began to ask more questions, fill in areas of his mind. When she finished, when her story moved past his, away from the Tower of Heaven, he could imagine hazy scenarios involving himself that he wasn't sure he wanted to remember.

A hand on her shoulder stilled her, and she held her breath in case he was to speak.

"Requip to something where I can feel you, Erza," Jellal said with a frown. "This armor gives me no opportunity to be close with you."

"Armor is supposed to protect, not draw those in closer for comfort," she responded. Still, she requipped to her casual outfit; without the armor working as a barrier, she was even colder now. Jellal, noticing this, removed his coat to place around her shoulders for warmth.

"Is that better?"

"Thank you," she replied, taken back by the kind gesture.

"Is it all… better?" Jellal asked slowly. "Now, I mean."

"In what way?"

"Are you… happier?"

"Of course. What kind of question is that?"

"I, uh, well… I mean, being here with me. Is it alright?"

Erza turned, noticing his awkwardness. She found it endearing, different. Smiling, she nodded and said, "It's more than alright. I've… always held you in a special place of my heart, so being here, with no hostility or devastation, is very nice."

"That's good," he nodded, taking her hand in his. "Because what I'm going to do might have you either destroying me or running for the hills."

"What—"

In an instant, he had pulled her to him, slamming his lips against hers. Erza's lips were soft, impossibly soft, but willing. She met his enthusiasm with a hunger of her own, almost shocking Jellal out of his skin. He ran with it, urging her on; he deepened the kiss, which she accepted without hesitation. He was confused, but for once this confusion was in a good way, mixed with many revelations.

"The others could come looking for us," Jellal breathed, pulling away in order to trail hot kisses down her chin, to her neck.

"They won't," Erza replied. Her hands wandered as if they had a mind of their own.

"How do you know?"

"Trust me, they won't. Now stop talking," she growled, lifting his head back up to seek out his lips.

A few minutes later and some discarded clothing strewn around the grassy area, Jellal found himself with his back to the Earth staring up at the beauty which was Titania. The moonlight across her milky skin, her scarlet hair—that hair which he had fallen in love with first in order to give her the name she now carried with her—made her a breathtaking sight.

"How has no other taken you away?" he asked, reaching a hand to gently cup one of her large breasts, thumb caressing a nipple.

"What?" she tilted her head to the side cutely.

He smiled. "Bluntly, how are you still single?"

"Oh." She shifted on top of him, not noticing the strained look on Jellal's face as a result of the friction. He pinched her in retaliation. "No one has expressed interest, only in my body. I don't take kindly to those fools." She ground against him again, realizing now what his problem was—she felt it hot, throbbing against her still-clothed center.

"You say that while I gawk at you and am aroused by you. Are you sure I'm not the same?"

Erza grinned lecherously, to his surprise, leaning down towards his face. His hand slid down to her hip, hooking under the waistband of her modest underwear. Her breasts swayed, free of their confinements, and her hair danced with the wind. He had seen nothing more beautiful. True freedom.

"Your look is not one only of lust," she replied. "There's a difference. Now, what did I say about talking?"

He responded with a smile, not saying a word.


	10. Against the Wall: Gajeel, Levy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

**Author's Note** : Written for springkink on LJ!

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:**_ _Against the Wall_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gajeel/Levy

_September 11, 2011_

* * *

He had agreed to walk Levy back, after the boisterous party at the guild. Everyone had been drinking to excess, as usual, but Levy had taken on a bit more than normal. Gajeel found that rather suspicious, but when she had sidled up next to him so easily, hooking her arm around his with that look in her eyes… he thought less about the technical details and more about the girl who feared him a little less every day.

"Take me back home?" she had asked, her cheeks pink and hazel eyes bright.

He grunted his answer, nodding, not appreciating the squeeze around his heart when her smile grew. He didn't bother asking if Jet or Droy could bring her back instead; he didn't want to.

Gajeel was internally conflicted, especially when it came to Levy. Sometimes he wondered if the past could really stay in the past.

They had been walking only ten short minutes when Levy put a hand to her mouth with a strangled gasp. "I'm going to be sick."

Without a thought, Gajeel ushered her to the nearest alleyway. He didn't like the idea of where this was going—not that he was squeamish, it was just plain gross.

Levy had been looking down at the ground, and just when he thought she was going to hurl, she did an entirely different form of hurling: at him. She leaped, like a cat, onto him; with his reflexes, he caught her without issue, but that allowed Levy to wrap her legs around his waist. Of course, this was just before his back hit the side of the building they were by.

The earlier conflict he had been griping over grew to a full bout of confusion. But her lips were impossibly soft against his and he couldn't do much in order to fight them off; it'd be the only battle he'd willingly lose.

Gajeel didn't know how drunk she was, or if she was even feeling sick—he really hoped she wasn't, with how far her tongue was jammed down his throat—but he didn't necessarily mind. The kind of aggressiveness she was exhibiting was definitely up his alley—this alley, even. He couldn't help but be turned on; he worried, just a little, if she would notice.

Levy's hands were everywhere it once, it seemed. They moved from his face, to his hair, so his shoulders, to his chest. She trusted his strength enough not to hold on for dear life.

When oxygen suddenly became necessary, and they had to pull away from each other, Gajeel finally found the words to speak. "What the hell was that?"

Levy giggled, leaning her head on his shoulder, still in his arms. "I just wanted to get you away from the guild in order to do that." Dropping ever so slightly, yet on purpose, she felt his arousal rub against her. "I don't think you object too much."

"No," he replied. "I'm not. But… aren't you drunk?"

"Maybe a little, but my mind's not muddled. I know exactly what I'm doing and who I want to do."

"Oho," he exclaimed, grinning broadly. "It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?"

"I don't want to be quiet anymore," she grinned, moving off of his shoulder in order to go nose-to-nose with the dragon slayer.

"Here or there," he began. "Where do you want it?"

She dipped low again, holding onto his shoulders for leverage; she rolled her hips against his, earning a growl for her actions. She mumbled something about taking birth control; options were open.

"Here it is," he said, claiming her lips with doubled passion.

Within no time her back was the one against the wall, shirt lifted over her breasts to expose them to the dark shadows of midnight. Her skirt was hiked up and his pants were unzipped and struggling to remain high on his legs; it was like they had done this before. Gajeel would have imagined that, as such a tiny, normal girl she would want her first time to be special and that made him feel a bit guilty for ravaging her up against a building. Only a little.

Starting slow and working his pace up to a speed resembling that of a wild animal, Gajeel made sure to thoroughly please Levy. His mouth was hot on her neck, his hands strong around her hips and waist. The two Fairy Tail mages found themselves lost in one another—loud, sweaty, and without a damn care if anyone could hear them. It didn't take much to send them careening over the edge to the blissful haze of the aftermath. While winding down, catching their breaths, the surrounding area finally came back into focus.

"Sorry," he suddenly grunted, confusing the girl. He noticed they were not too far from a dumpster. Romantic.

Levy cocked her head to the side, face deliciously flushed from sex. "For what?"

"We can do that again, in a bed or something in order to make it better for you… more, uh, special and shit that girls like to brag about."

"If getting thoroughly fucked up against a wall in an alleyway isn't special, I don't know what to tell you."

"My woman," he said, hoisting her closer with a lecherous grin.


	11. Relaxation: Natsu, Lucy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related. But I have met Hiro Mashima, so… maybe some of that talent has rubbed off on me?

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:**  Relaxation_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Natsu/Lucy

_March 14, 2012_

* * *

The sun was shining in so brightly through her window, Lucy couldn't resist stretching out like a cat on her bed. Her eyes were shut, a smile on her face; nothing or no one could bother her now. The warm breeze flowing in past her curtains was bliss. She had been reading, but the book was soon forgotten, tossed off the side of her bed—after being carefully bookmarked, of course.

She didn't know how long it had been—the scene behind her eyelids bright but comforting—since she had begun relaxing. It was a rare day off, in the town of Magnolia, and she was grateful for it. No missions, no nothing: peace.

Somewhere along the line, Natsu had joined her. She had been lazing, coming in and out of consciousness, when she felt a dip in her bed and a little more warmth against her side.

"N-Natsu?" she asked, yawning while reaching for him.

"You look really comfy right now," he grinned. "Wanna nap?"

She blushed. Only he would openly ask if he could sleep with her without the implications of anything more. Where was Happy to tease them?

Actually… "Hey, where's Happy?"

"Fishing with Charle." He snickered, "I think Happy thinks it's a date."

"Aww, too bad I'm not there to tease him about it."

Natsu smiled, cuddling against her breasts. The best pillows.

"Do you mind?"

"No."

" _Natsu_."

"Alright, alright… you and your personal space," he huffed as he shifted down to a zone of her body she wouldn't whine he was too close to, her stomach.

With Natsu so close, she wasn't  _quite_  as relaxed as before. Her mind was zooming, wondering how exactly he felt in regards to her. He was on her all the time, snuggling and nuzzling her, sleeping in the same bed as her, and whenever anyone in the guild teased him, he just grinned and waved it off.

About ninety percent of the time, Lucy wondered just what exactly went through Natsu's head. He had his motivators, as she did hers, but there was a missing link between them; she couldn't connect the pieces (as much as she wanted to).

She was quickly found out. The sound of her heart beating so quickly alerted him to her shift in emotional state.

When she felt him shift, she looked down to see Natsu was staring up at her. "Whatcha thinkin' bout, Luce?"

She stared right back at him. "You. Your brain."

"My brain? What's so wrong with it that your heartbeat needs to be super loud?" he itched the side of his head. She confused him on a regular basis, his Lucy. "Can you see something wrong with it?"

"No, no." She smiled, patting the top of his head. "Nothing. Your brain is an enigma, really."

He sat up. "A what? Is that like a tumor? Luce, cool it with the weird words. You know I can only follow you so far."

"You're a mystery to me sometimes, you lunkhead." As an afterthought, she added, "Not a tumor."

Now he was even more confused. "But why? I tell you everything. What's left to be a mystery?"

That was it, though. He didn't hide anything from her, didn't fabricate any ounce of his being.

"You're a mystery because… well, it's a mystery why you're a mystery."

"Are you feelin' okay? You're not making any sense." He calmed, choosing to snuggle against her again, his head on her stomach.

She laughed, shrugging. "I don't feel like I'm making sense, either."

"Hey, Luce—"

Just as he was about to speak again, she interrupted, "Just shut up and enjoy the sun. We don't get many days like this."

He chuckled and closed his eyes, inching his head back a bit to rest against his favorite pillows. She remained quiet—for once.


	12. Nugget: Gajeel, Levy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related. But I have met Hiro Mashima, so… maybe some of that talent has rubbed off on me?

 **Author's Note** : I don't know where this little bit of domesticity came from, but here you go! I'd love prompts for future stories if you can think of any. Give me a pairing and a prompt and I'll see what I can do!

As always, let me know if you spot any errors!

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:**  Nugget_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gajeel/Levy

_March 24, 2012_

* * *

"Gajeel, let me up," Levy whined, trying to get up yet trapped in her husband's relentless embrace. "Your child is pressing on my bladder."

"No," he replied, cuddling her even closer. "Don't wanna."

"Gajeel," she threatened, dropping her voice down low. "Remember the last time you didn't do as I asked? Do you want a repeat of that?"

Heaving a great sigh, the dragon slayer removed his arm from around her swollen waist to let her go free in order to use the restroom. A pregnant Levy was a bossy Levy. And Gajeel thought  _he_  was the scary one out of the two of them; boy, was he wrong.

The last time he didn't do what she asked he had to sleep on the couch for three nights. It was a very cold, lonely, unforgiving couch and he was a large man.

When Levy finally returned, a mass of blue and white, she only sat on the edge of the bed instead of getting back into his arms—where he wanted her to be. It had been a long day of training with Pantherlily, and all he wanted to do (second to taking a scalding hot shower, which he had already done) was have quiet time with his wife.

"You alright?" he asked, picking up on how little she was breathing or moving while sitting there.

As if she had just received her cue to move, Levy suddenly scooted over to him on the bed and took his hand to place on her belly. She was about five months pregnant, and every little thing she felt or did was reported to Gajeel; so, when she took his hand to rest it on her stomach, he didn't think anything of it. Not until he felt movement under his hand, anyway.

"Was that just…?" he finally spoke after a solid minute had gone by. Knowing the baby was in there was one thing, but to actually feel the little brat moving and kicking… that was something else.

"Yeah! The baby just kicked! Nugget has been moving around a bit but hasn't really started kicking until recently. Isn't it great? I can already tell Nugget will be a good fighter, just like his or her Daddy," she smirked, kissing him on the nose to punctuate her point.

Gajeel frowned doubly at her actions and her words. "Can you quit callin' our baby Nugget? I don't wanna think about eatin' her like some chicken. Him. It."

"I know you have a name you like to call the baby, and I have mine. I'm surprised you're not thrilled with Nugget, with all of the size-related names you call me."

He made a sour face. "That's different." If a grown man could pout, this would be the closest he could ever get.

"How exactly is it different?" she challenged.

Gajeel shrugged, not really caring about anything other than the image of his sexy wife in front of him rubbing her belly absentmindedly.

"You're impossible, you know that?" she asked with a smile.

"Maybe," he smiled back at her. "Now get over here before I freeze to death. I need Levy heat."

"Romance never quits with you, does it?" she rolled her eyes with a snort of laughter. "Besides, you're a furnace—quit lying."

Gajeel grunted before gathering Levy up into his arms again, right where she belonged. He kissed the crown of her head as he rested his hands over her stomach.

If anyone told him ten years ago he would be here, doing this, with a woman like Levy… married, even, with a child on the way… he would have laughed them straight off the planet. It's amazing how one decision has the ability change the course of a person's life.

But, still… "Why Nugget?"


	13. Pierced: Gajeel, Levy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related. But I have met Hiro Mashima, so… maybe some of that talent has rubbed off on me?

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:**  Pierced_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gajeel/Levy

_March 27, 2012_

* * *

Levy knew one thing was certain: she was tough. She may not have been tall, curvy, or too skilled at hand-to-hand combat, but she was extremely tough and made do with what she had to offer. Her mind, of course, was the toughest of these attributes.

To live through the roller-coaster ride of emotions that Tenrou Island brought, mix it with being gone for seven years in a blank void of time, and add in the realization she was in love with her S-Class partner… yeah, she would say she had good examples to back up her theory of self-strength. She was still moving forward; nothing held her back.

Now, Levy wasn't sure what possessed her to be here, with Gajeel, getting her first body piercing. She completely blamed Gajeel for this urge, that much was certain. The other, less rational part of her brain, had witnessed the source of her insanity eyeballing a cute belly button ring through a display case with amusement. The small, silver dragon dangling from the end of the curve of the barbell caught his interest.

Her mouth began to move on its own accord. "Hey, Gajeel?"

She had wanted to be close to him, physically and mentally, and by doing this she reasoned that it would merit approval in his eyes. Plus, she had wanted to get a piercing, other than her ears, for the longest time. What better person to go with than Gajeel, the veteran?

"Isn't that cool?" he asked, jabbing a finger in the direction of the aforementioned jewelry.

"It is," she said slowly. Taking in a deep breath, she almost jolted out of her skin when she shopkeeper approached them after walking away from another associate.

"Can I help you with anything?" the young man, covered in piercings and tattoos, asked. He had more tattoos than Gajeel—with the guild insignia on his arm—but not as many piercings. To any passer by that wasn't Levy, he probably would've scared them by appearance alone. She knew to look a little deeper than that before making judgments. Levy noticed a woman sitting by the phone, reading a magazine. She was just as done-up as the man that just questioned her.

"Uh, yeah," Levy mumbled, bringing herself back into the conversation while simultaneously avoiding the look of shock on Gajeel's face. "You do piercings here, right?"

Gajeel finally caught on to the full extent of what she was doing. "Oi, shorty—"

"That we do. Well, I personally do them." He eyed her exposed navel. "I'm assuming you want your belly button pierced? You've got a nice stomach for it."

She nodded timidly, placing a hand over her stomach. She was glad she didn't wear her customary dress out today, otherwise she would be flashing her panties at a stranger. It was a bit hotter out, so she opted for her yellow bikini top and shorts combination with a muted teal-colored vest over her shoulders.

Levy could sense Gajeel trying to keep his temper in check as he watched the piercer eyeball her. However, he immediately calmed down when she stated, "Yeah. I want that dragon navel ring to go in it."

Possession. She knew how much Gajeel got off on that.

"Good pick," the guy said, leaning down in order to open the case and pull the piece of jewelry out. "My suggestion, though, would be to get your navel pierced with somethin' a little less heavy and then switch to this guy when it heals."

Levy thought about it for a second. "Yeah, I understand. Is it actually heavy or is it just going to aggravate the healing process with the dragon possibly getting caught on clothing?"

"Clothing, mostly," he nodded. "Possibly a little stress on the healing skin. Though, as I'm sure your boyfriend has it down to a science, you never really know how much you touch a certain area of your body—just by doin' regular things—until you get it pierced."

Gajeel snorted, nodding. "Ain't that the truth."

"But, if you have a high tolerance for pain or, in your case, don't wear too much for the piercing to get snagged on, the healing process should be a piece of cake. So, ultimately, it's up to you, blue."

Levy looked at Gajeel and shrugged. "What do you think?"

"Oh," the piercer added, "and if you sleep on your stomach I'd watch out for that, too."

"I think it'll be fine," Gajeel said with a smirk, knowing Levy slept on her side.

"Dragon it is!"

After the payment was all squared away—Gajeel handled it, much to Levy's amazement—they had been brought to a secluded area of the shop. After Levy had agreed on the positioning of the piercing, she was instructed to lie back on a cushioned table while the piercer readied his tools.

"You're sure about this, shrimp?" Gajeel asked, looking slightly uneasy. He didn't like to see her in pain. Piercings were a second nature to him, but for her… they were new.

"Of course I am," she smiled, grasping his hand. "You know I can handle it. Besides, it's not like I'm getting an extreme piercing."

"You'd be surprised at what I see here," the piercer said, approaching her with metal tongs and a needle. He locked the tongs into place, smoothing out the area of skin in focus. "Alright, this is going to sting a bit but it won't be too bad. On my count, take a deep breath in. One, two…" with finesse, he pierced her with the needle, and then switched it out for the dragon barbell. Seeing how composed she was, he commended her with a, "Good job, blue."

Gajeel was proud of her not even making a peep. The only thing he could feel, coming from her, was when she gripped his hand a fraction tighter when the needle went in. Other than that, nothing.

"That wasn't so bad," Levy mused, sitting up to get a better look at her stomach. "Whoa, that looks so good. Doesn't it, Gajeel?"

Gajeel grunted in affirmation, squeezing the hand in reassurance that he was still holding onto before finally letting go in order to let her get up.

"Awesome," the piercer responded. "Make sure to clean it regularly and to not aggravate it. The healing process takes about three months, maybe a bit more. It can easily get infected, though, but if you know what you're doing, it won't scar. You look like a smart chick, so I don't doubt you got it under control."

Levy grinned at the man before hopping off of the table. They began walking back to the main area of the shop. "Thank you, uh…"

"Oh shit, right. The name's Mako," he stopped and shook her hand, then Gajeel's. "Make sure to come back, we're going to get in some new pieces of jewelry soon that I  _think_  you might be interested in."

"Sounds great!" Levy smiled before grabbing Gajeel's hand. After saying their final goodbyes, they exited and returned to the streets of Magnolia.

"I never thought you had it in you, shorty," Gajeel grinned, wrapping his arm around her and tugging her in close. "That looks hot on you. Sexy."

"You think so?" Levy grinned, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "That wasn't my intention at all…"

"Liar," he shot back, leaning down to kiss her as they walked. "Such a liar."

"Maybe."

"Definitely."

"Kind of."

"No fuckin' kiddin'. How about we just go back to my place before we hit the guild in order for me to… inspect that a little more," Gajeel leered. "Make sure he did it right."

She laughed as she found herself being steered in the direction opposite the guild. This kind of detour was something she already had in mind.


	14. The Calm Before: Gajeel, Levy, Rogue

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related.

 **Author's Note** : Ever since a specific crack theory was brought to my attention, I felt the need to participate in helping the fire grow. It's silly, yes, but it's always fun to think about what could be. This isn't blatantly referencing the crack theory, but if you think about it… yes, it really is. Tumblr isn't helping me get over this, either! You all know who you are. The theory itself is that Sting and Rogue came from the future and are respectively the children of Natsu/Lucy and Levy/Gajeel. For what purpose? Who knows? Is it fun to think about? Sure is. That's why it's a crack theory.

* * *

_**Sooner or Later:** _ _The Calm Before_

**Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gajeel, Levy, Rogue

_January 31, 2013_

* * *

The arena was a quiet, desolate shell of what it had been during the tournament. The stadium seating had long since been cleared, people fleeing for safety at the warning of the mages that had participated in the games. Fairy Tail had caught wind of the Eclipse plan first, but couldn't have possibly known how serious its threat was in actuality.

Sitting in the section that had been marked for Fairy Tail mages, there was a lone person. The resident Solid Script mage was trapped in her thoughts, staring blankly out in front of her. Being trapped in her thoughts wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but now her thoughts were laid thick and heavy on her heart. She was used to fantasizing about the novels she read, the colorful characters that swept her off of her feet. Stories about adventure, magic, mystery, and love…

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Their lives were supposed to be happy, full of friends and planning for the future! Not wondering if everyone she knew would still be alive tomorrow. Her sense of being had already been thrown off kilter by the seven-year gap. Levy knew she was supposed to be wistfully daydreaming about her future; if she would get married one day, move into a cute home, and have children… what they would look like, even.

The young Solid Script mage had watched her comrades, her nakama, battle time after time during the games. After too many injuries to count, her beloved guild and its dual teams persevered as long as they could before the games had to be called off.

The tournament could not continue.

Heaving a loud sigh, Levy rubbed her face with her hands. She couldn't leave her friends to prepare for the upcoming threat alone. Yet, she was feeling a strange sense of déjà vu that she couldn't place. Natsu and Lucy had encountered something—someone?—rather strange and needed everyone to meet at the inn to try to make sense of their current situation.

Levy knew strategizing was up her alley, putting pieces of a large puzzle together to come to a positive conclusion, but she felt so weak… so tired, thinking about yet another roadblock that was derailing her life and her peace.

* * *

There she was. Sitting alone, which wasn't that smart due to the circumstances, but there she was. He hadn't seen her alone during the whole duration of the tournament—why was she alone now?

Shuffling closer, quietly in the shadows, he wanted to get a better look at her.

A lost memory he so desperately wished to reclaim.

What he wasn't expecting was the Solid Script mage to begin to speak. "Gajeel, I know that's—" She turned, blinking a few times when she realized it wasn't who she had assumed was creeping up on her. "Oh. It's you."

Rogue froze in place, unsure how to continue. They had never been formally introduced in this timeline. He had only come into contact with Gajeel directly.

"Rogue," he offered, in a low tone. He burrowed deeper into his cloak, if possible.

"Levy," the blunette replied with an unsure yet soft smile. "What are you doing here?

Rogue shook his head without offering an explanation.

Levy's brows furrowed in confusion, not sure how to proceed. He was here for a reason. Whatever that reason was… was beyond her. The haunted, sad look in his eyes stopped her from pressing further.

"Why are you here?" the Shadow Dragon Slayer asked, breaking his silence. He wanted to hear her voice.

Levy hesitated before responding, ultimately deciding that she was sensing no ill will from the man. "I'm… I'm thinking. Wondering why these things have to happen to us, all of us, so often. A life without adventure would be boring, but…"

"There are differentiating paths adventure can take."

Levy, taken back by his eloquence, smiled again. "That is true. Sometimes I would like a quieter sense of adventure. One that doesn't put the lives of every loved one in my life at risk."

His mother always was reading something. "Like in a book?"

"Absolutely. But," she hesitated, finally lifting herself to stand, "I've been a little bit of a coward. I'm afraid of what could happen, so I came here to think, away from the noise."

Rogue took a step backwards. "I interrupted. I apologize."

"No need," she waved dismissively before picking up her satchel. "I should be heading back to the inn. Someone will notice I'm gone."

Rogue frowned. "You shouldn't go alone."

"That's right," a new, gruff voice chimed in. "Shrimp's comin' with me."

Levy's cheeks turned pink, Rogue noted, when the Iron Dragon Slayer made his presence known. He stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Rogue knew he had been there the entire time.

Curious. Possessive. Familiar.

"Gajeel! How long have you been there for?" Levy squeaked, somewhat pleased and somewhat pissed off.

"Long enough. Let's go," Gajeel barked, sizing up the other Dragon Slayer as he grabbed for the small woman. "Get outta here before this place goes ta shit and yer trapped," he added, nodding at the other man as he pulled Levy along. Rogue nodded in return, acknowledging the warning.

"I can walk myself. No need to yank my arm off," Levy huffed, though not letting go of Gajeel's hand. "It was nice talking to you," she said to Rogue before they continued past. Rogue nodded cordially before she was tugged away.

Rogue caught a, "Why do you have to lurk like that?" come from the blunette's mouth before they were out of earshot and smiled. He realized that the two mages weren't romantically linked, but dancing closely with one another in the stages of denial.

Hope, a foreign emotion that he hadn't felt in a great while, swelled in his chest.

The future needed to be protected.


	15. Working Out: Gajeel, Levy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related, that possession belongs to Hiro Mashima.

 **Author's Note** : Alright, this story is for the lovely **Rusky/rboz** who has been ever so kind to me with wonderful gift art—which this story is based on! The link to the art will be included in my profile very soon, but I'm sure you've seen it!

* * *

 **Sooner or Later** : Working Out

 **Character(s)/Pairing(s):** Gajeel, Levy

_June 27, 2013_

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Levy steadied herself as she looked out into the wide expanse in front of her. In this remote location, away from Fiore where Gajeel liked to train was absolutely breathtaking. The trees were so green and stretched out for miles.

It was a beautiful morning, only dampened by the fact that she was covered head-to-toe in sweat, dealing with an overly pushy Dragonslayer—but she picked her battles. Gajeel was humoring her as a favor, taking her with him to train. Just the two of them, no Pantherlily to comment about any mounting tension between them. The scene would have been romantic, a dream within a dream, if it weren't for her present company. The scowl that was ever-present on his face was enough to prompt her to roll her eyes more times than she could count. Still, she was grateful.

"Come on, Shrimp," Gajeel called out to her. "Break's over."

"Yeah, yeah," Levy sighed, turning away from the view. She stretched her arms out above her head, scrunching her eyes shut as she savored the feeling.

"Not much more," he grunted, unable to tear his eyes away from her as she stretched out. Bookworm was definitely putting effort into this training. While she may be small and a lot less power-heavy than most of the members of Fairy Tail, she could hold her own. Plus that little number she had on didn't hurt his eyes, either. An orange-colored tank top, as always, cut off under her chest, hugging her gentle curves. Cute little hearts on it and shit. The shorts she had on matched—and were more distracting than he'd like to admit. He admired it when she bent over, stretching further.

"Not much more" turned into two hours of sheer exertion and torturous repetition. Once they were officially through, it took all of Levy's strength to not collapse then and there on the ground; she was covered in sweat, she didn't want to add dirt to the mix.

Resting before their journey back into town and home to the guild, Levy picked up a bottle of water out of the cooler she had brought for them and took a long swig. Gajeel sat behind her, lounging with a towel draped over his bare shoulders.

Levy chanced a quick look over her shoulder at him before taking another swig. His eyes were closed, his face up towards the sun with a content look on his face. She felt a twinge in her heart, unable to deny what she was currently feeling for the Iron Dragonslayer.

Turning frontwards, she allowed herself to smile a small smile, priding herself in how mature he had become over the duration of their friendship. She only would hope, in her deepest and darkest dreams, that their friendship would evolve into something greater.

Those thoughts were cut suddenly short by a firm and solid smack to her backside.

"Geheh," Gajeel chuckled as his hand withdrew. "Good work today, Shrimp."

The tender moment she had been having with her feelings shattered as she attempted to sputter out some kind of response. Lifting her by the scruff of her neck, elbowing her, putting his arm around her shoulder sure—but touching her… her b-butt?!

"I, uh, hey, uh…" Gajeel back-tracked, seeing how distraught Levy was steadily becoming. "I won't touch you or nothin' again, it's okay."

Levy pressed a hand over her heart, feeling it beat wildly underneath her palm. She knew her cheeks were bright pink. Completely blind-sided, she didn't know what to think. "Jeez, Gajeel! At least give me some warning."

He raised an eyebrow. "You want me to warn you before I slap your ass?"

She frowned, giving him a look. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

Gajeel chuckled, waving her off. "Yeah, yeah. You couldn't take much more, anyways."

Levy took her hand from over her heart, which had settled back into a more comfortable rhythm and crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant stance. "Buy me dinner first and then we'll talk."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise but he tried to recover quickly. Standing so he towered over her, he attempted to look as menacing as he could to the tiny bookworm. When she didn't flinch, not even a little, he shrugged. "Come on, let's go eat. I'm hungry."

Levy's jaw dropped as she watched him stalk off to where he had discarded his shirt. After he slipped it on, he turned around. "Are you comin'? I ain't waitin' around forever!"

"Yes! Coming!" she replied, grinning as she picked up her belongings and bounded off after him.


	16. A Proposed Future: Gajeel, Levy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related, that possession belongs to Hiro Mashima.

 **Author's Note** : Okay, so I'm trying this new thing were I write while I'm at work. So far, I've been able to get two chapters done and I feel like this will be my method of updating from now on. Sometimes there are lulls and it's perfect to get some writing done!

* * *

 **Sooner or Later** : A Proposed Future

 **Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gajeel, Levy

_August 13, 2013_

* * *

Gajeel had just come home from a long mission to find Levy there, tending to his home in his absence. He especially liked returning home to her only wearing an oversized t-shirt of his, reading on the couch.

The odd couple lounged together on Gajeel's beat up couch, Pantherlily snoozing in his drawer in the other room. It was late, mostly dark in the living room except for a single lamp. Gajeel lay back with his head in Levy's lap as she leafed through a thick tome.

Silence.

"Do you ever think about the future?"

Silence.

Gajeel slowly opened one eye. "What about it?"

"The future." Pause. Levy marked her place and rested her book on the arm of the couch. "In general. Y'know, where you'll be, what you'll be doing…" she trailed off, watching him closely for his reaction in the dim light.

Gajeel grunted, "Nn."

"But why not?"

"But why?" he shot back tiredly.

"Isn't there anything you want to accomplish? A future goal?" When he didn't respond right away, Levy sighed a small sigh, though it was noticed by him.

"Ain't there anythin' better you could be doin' right now? Why think about what's up ahead?"

Levy pouted. "I was just making conversation. We don't talk much about things that have substance—iron, food, sex, missions—that's how far we go."

"I don't see anythin' wrong with any of those things," the man grunted, turning on his side so he didn't have to look at her upside-down anymore.

"There isn't anything necessarily wrong with those things," Levy replied, giving him a miserable little smile as she combed her fingers through his hair, rubbing his head as well. "Sometimes I want a little more."

Gajeel grunted, leaning into her touch; his eyes slipped closed and he found himself almost humming at the bliss of her giving him a scalp massage.

"I think about this," he began. "Y'know, for the future."

"This?" Levy questioned, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "What's this?"

"Us. This."

The bookworm smiled, giving him an extra few scratches to his scalp before smoothing the hair down. "Yeah? You do?"

"Mm," he responded.

She knew it was hard for him to open up, to convey his feelings when everything around them was uncertain and tumultuous, from childhood through adulthood. She never pushed him, made him uncomfortable. However, in times like this, part of her really wanted to probe him for answers.

"Don't breathe a word of this to Bunny Girl, but," he mumbled, "yeah, I think about it sometimes. If you'll be here."

Levy furrowed her eyebrows, confused that he seemed to be slightly conflicted in regards to her devotion. She assumed it was the self-loathing that bubbled to the surface every so often in addition to everyone he could have ever cared for leaving him. She understood—she didn't like him feeling that way, but she understood the feeling of people loving you but leaving.

"You ass," she knocked him on the head. "Of course I'll be here. I'll always be here. Nothing you could do could possibly drive me away. I happen to be in love with you, you idiot."

Gajeel pursed his lips and rolled his eyes, trying to hold back the grin that attempted to overtake his mouth. If there was anyone who should have gone running ages ago, it'd be her. But no, she was there, always there… his Shrimp was the rock he clung to.

After Levy knocked against his head again in response to his flippant behavior, he chuckled and turned himself around completely so he was on his stomach. "You're mine," he growled out, snaking his arms around her waist.

She nodded with a smile, giggling at the way he nuzzled against her stomach like a big cat. "I am."

"Forever," he mumbled against her stomach.

Silence.

"Is that a proposal?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and attempting to lean back so she could catch a glimpse at his face. His ears looked a little red, so she assumed him to be blushing.

"Do… you… want it to be?" he chanced a look up at her and almost lost his cool at the look on her face.

Her heart clenched in her chest at the anticipation—it felt so good and so painful and she never wanted to lose this feeling. Levy had to hold back tears of happiness.

Silence.

"I want a ring," she replied, once she had composed herself enough to get out a sentence.

He snorted, squeezing her a little tighter. "I can make one."

"Good," she nodded, giving him an extra scratch on the top of his head.

Gajeel leaned back, finally showing his face. "Was that a yes?"

"What do you think?" Levy asked, rolling her eyes. Gajeel continued to stare at her, which prompted the blue-haired mage to nod her head. "Yes, of course."

The Dragon Slayer shifted, moving himself into a sitting position so he could fully see her. "Serious?"

Levy nodded again, the smile on her face impossibly wide. "Serious."

The blue-haired mage squealed as she was dragged into his lap. Gajeel's lips covered hers and she gasped into his mouth, the sheer force of the kiss overwhelming her senses. Levy could feel every single word he didn't say, every feeling through his kiss. He wasn't an eloquent man, she knew; she was eloquent enough for the both of them. His actions spoke volumes, could fill pages upon pages of a story only meant for them. This would be a new chapter.

After breaking the kiss to gasp for air, Levy and Gajeel stared at each other with big smiles, foreheads touching. Gajeel's tender grin turned lecherous as he leaned closer to his mate. "Time to celebrate."


	17. Punishment: Gajeel, Levy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related, that possession belongs to Hiro Mashima.

 **Author's Note** : I'm not entirely thrilled with this, and had a little different of a version but that got eaten up. Enjoy! If you have any suggestions for prompts, please throw them my way! I love to chat. Also, think of rboz's art when you read this!

* * *

 **Sooner or Later** : Punishment

 **Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gajeel, Levy

_August 22, 2013_

* * *

Leaving Bunny Girl alone to deal with the merciless Mirajane and the rest of the B-Team's punishment games, Gajeel chased after the small bookworm who had run off during his music number.

Grumbling to himself, the Dragon Slayer searched left and right, high and low, to find the tiny mage.

"Oi, come on!" Gajeel called out, knowing she couldn't have gone too far. "Come back!"

Heading straight ahead, Gajeel found himself face-to-face with the restroom door. "I know yer in there, Shrimp!"

"Go away!" he heard. Okay, at least he knew exactly where she was. Leaning his guitar on the wall outside of the restroom, he pushed through the door which hadn't been locked—like she wanted to be found. Gajeel approached Levy slowly, not missing the tears running down her face as she stood in front of the mirror.

"The hell's got you so worked up?" Gajeel questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"You wouldn't understand," Levy replied, shrinking into herself. She wrung her arms in front of her, turning away. "No one understands."

"Try me."

"Why did you come after me?" Levy asked, looking up at him with her impossibly large, hazel eyes. He had a weakness for those eyes.

"Come on," he replied, tugging at her arm. "I don't wanna talk in the can."

Levy rolled her eyes, wiping her face one last time before following Gajeel out of the bathroom.

The pulsing bass from the festivities going on around them was muffled, yet ever-present. Cheers and shouts could be heard, as well as the (whining) yells from those on the receiving end of the punishment. Fairy Tail was drunk and rambunctious. This party wouldn't be ending any time soon.

"Why did you come after me?" she asked again, watching him pick up the guitar he had left leaning against the wall.

When he didn't respond, she frowned.

"You had Lucy. She was part of the punishment game. And she's a lot," Levy averted her eyes, bringing her hands to her chest, "curvier than I am. This outfit doesn't suit me at all." As an afterthought, she added in a soft grumble, "I don't how I wound up wearing this thing."

Gajeel rolled his eyes, and then pointed to the ground. "Sit."

"What?"

"Sit."

Sighing, Levy sat on the ground where Gajeel had pointed; she found the task a little difficult in her outfit, but complied.

Still wearing that ridiculous white suit, he slid down the wall, sitting next to her. Perching the guitar in his lap, he began to strum idly.

"I dunno who told you that you ain't good lookin', but I'll wipe the floor with that poor bastard."

"No," Levy replied quietly, averting your eyes. "It's what I think… myself."

After a few seconds of silence, the bookworm squirmed where she sat; she could feel the Dragon Slayer's eyes on her, sizing her up.

"For someone so smart, yer a moron," he grumbled, shaking his head at her as he began to play.

Levy didn't know what to think, sitting there listening to his quiet strumming. The compliment coupled with this intimate music session seemed too much for her heart. She placed a hand on his arm. "You don't have to do this."

"I don't _have_ to do anythin'," he replied, giving her a lopsided grin. "I wanna."

She smiled back, touched that he was going out of his way for her. After the first time she had caught him performing alone in his home, she concluded that she was his biggest fan—someone had to be. The rest of the guild found his playing ridiculous, more for show than for talent, but Levy loved the sound of his deep voice and the way he lost himself in the music. His voice, though… it made her shiver and tingle all the way down to her toes, singing or not.

Gajeel began to sing something she hadn't heard before. Levy didn't know if it was an actual song another artist sang or something he was coming up with her on the spot. Either way, it moved her enough to bring a fresh set of tears to her eyes.

"Oi," Gajeel stopped, staring at her with a bewildered look. "Why are you cryin' again? I ain't _that_ bad!""

Levy shook her head. "Not bad tears," she replied, wiping her eyes with a watery smile.


	18. Carnival Games: Natsu, Lucy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related, that possession belongs to Hiro Mashima.

 **Author's Note** : Here's a prompt I was given on tumblr. I'm always looking for prompts for stories, so you know!

* * *

 **Sooner or Later** : Carnival Games

 **Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Natsu, Lucy

_September 28, 2013_

* * *

Of course everything was done to an excess with this man.

Their evening had started simple enough. Lucy propositioned going to the carnival, attempting to entice the Fire Dragon Slayer with various types of food. Natsu agreed almost immediately, urging Happy to make plans with Charle so they could catch fish together and share. An odd, unspoken kind of double date. Other members of Fairy Tail followed suit, pairing up and wandering along.

Lucy realized that she should have been touched, that her _kind of romantic_ partner actually joined her at the carnival. How he, instead of stuffing his face with food from the various vendors around the carnival, spent time with her playing games and winning prizes without much argument.

_However…_

Watching the burning ruins of a carnival game, Lucy wondered how her day had gotten to this point. Juvia and Gray had attempted to calm down the flames—along with the local fire department, but at the same time, Natsu wasn't helping matters. After the man had refused to give Lucy the stuffed animal she had rightly won, saying she needed to win _in a certain way_ in order for it to count, Natsu went ballistic in the sweet yet misguided way he always took things a step too far.

Six burnt teddy bears later, she was ready to call it a day.

No, she didn't want them. That wasn't the point.

Grumbling quietly as she walked away from the ruins, Lucy didn't care to watch the aftermath.

"Did I mess up?" she heard quietly behind her, knowing Natsu was trying his best to keep up with her pace.

"A little," she responded. "I'm not happy."

"I thought you wanted that bear," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "Wasn't that the whole point of the game?"

"Sure, of the game," Lucy sighed, slowing down her pace. "But all I wanted to do was spend time with you. I don't need a stupid bear for that."

"Oh," Natsu replied.

"I know you meant well," Lucy began, turning to him, "but sometimes you just gotta let things go. Pick your battles."

He nodded, looking at her quite seriously before reaching out his hand to hold hers. "Can we go eat now? Then we can do whatever you want."

Shocked at the public display of affection, a bridge they hadn't crossed yet, she nodded. Allowing herself to be tugged along, she mused that not everything had been ruined that day.

Not until after dinner, but that was a different story.


	19. Tension: Gajeel, Levy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related, that possession belongs to Hiro Mashima.

 **Author's Note** : Here's a prompt I was given on tumblr by the lovely rboz! Enjoy!

* * *

 **Sooner or Later** : Tension

 **Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gajeel, Levy

_April 6, 2014_

* * *

One bed.

No matter how much he argued, they could only get one bed.

"There's a convention in town," the manager had said, once he had been dragged out to deal with the commotion of a Dragon Slayer having a hissy fit. "You won't find an inn for miles and this is our last room. I'm sorry, pal."

One bed.

Gajeel sighed, inwardly preparing for a long, restless night on the floor. He would hear every last inhale and exhale of his small partner, and that undoubtedly would keep him awake. He cursed his sensitive hearing despite the fact that he prided himself on his expert abilities.

At least one of them would be well rested tonight.

"You don't mind if I shower first, do you?" Levy asked, resting her bag on the—one and only—bed.

Gajeel grunted, pushing thoughts of the Solid Script mage bathing down into the deep recesses of his mind.

"I'll be quick!" she smiled before ducking into the bathroom and closing the door.

His heart did that annoying pitter-patter thing in his chest at her smile and he almost, _almost_ groaned loudly as a result. What was he, a girl? Lily would have his head if he were here right now. Lily would give him that knowing look and he, as a result, would be all swears and fists. He wouldn't even be in this predicament if Lily were there. They would be roughing it outdoors, bonding with Mother Nature, sleeping under the stars.

No, in this situation Gajeel cared about his current partner's wellbeing and therefore made sure she slept comfortably under a solid roof. (Preferably including a nightstand with a small lamp on it so he didn't have to put up with the glare of a major light fixture while she wanted to squeeze in a "quick" hundred pages of her latest novel.) She did well on this mission; she deserved a nice place to sleep.

Before he knew it, Levy was out of the bathroom in nothing but the world's smallest towel and it took every ounce of willpower in his body to not jump her then and there.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly at him. "I forgot to bring in my pajamas in. You don't mind, do you?"

She was _that_ comfortable around him? Was it more like a brother kind of comfortable than a good friend? Was he so desperately out of her league that she didn't even think about him that way?

He chanced a look at her thighs peeping out of the slit in the towel, trailing up to the curve of her glorious ass.

He wrote songs about that ass.

Levy turned away from him and back to her bag. Pulling out a pair of modest panties, she stepped into them and pulled them up and under the towel.

From where he was sitting, Gajeel attempted to drag his eyes away from the sight of Levy slowly getting dressed. He had been physically tortured multiple times in his life, but this was by far the worst form of pain he had ever experienced.

Here lies Gajeel: he died of the bluest of balls.

Once her panties were on, she dropped the towel altogether. Gajeel almost lost his shit, jaw dropping down, but shifted his focus to the wallpaper. Yeah, right. His eyes were quickly back to where they had just left.

Slipping on a sleep shirt that barely made it mid-thigh, Levy got into bed and situated herself for a bit of reading. Glancing at the Dragon Slayer, then down to her book, she stated, "The bathroom's all yours." Passive. Uncaring. Aloof. He could see her nipples through her fucking shirt.

Fuck, it was hot. This tease of what a domestic life could be was absolutely killing him. He had to get it out of his system.

One vigorous masturbatory session topped off with a cold shower later for good measure, Gajeel was setting up his bedding on the floor. Feeling a little less wound up, he figured he would at best get a nap in.

"Are you sure you want to sleep on the floor? There's plenty of room up here."

"Don't worry about it," Gajeel replied gruffly. "S'all yours."

"Alright," she replied slowly. Levy set her glasses down on the nightstand.

Gajeel missed the sad look directed at his back.

Ten minutes later the light was out and neither were sleeping. Every so often, Levy would shift and move around, catching Gajeel's attention. Maybe he should turn on the lacryma vision for some distraction.

This continued until the silence was deafening. She would move, then he would move. Just when he thought he was going to crack, he heard:

"Am I that repulsive to you?"

Her voice was quiet, scared even. She knew he had to have been awake still, otherwise she wouldn't have asked such an idiotic question. Levy knew his hearing was superhuman.

"What?" Gajeel exclaimed, his voice coming out much louder than intended. "The hell are ya goin' on about?"

More silence, followed by a sigh.

"I offer to share the bed, you decline. I'm practically naked in front of you while getting dressed and you do nothing. Of course I didn't forget my clothes, Gajeel, I purposefully left them out here." As an afterthought, she added, "I could have gone back into the bathroom to change, you know."

"Oh."

"Oh," Levy mimicked. "What is that supposed to mean? I offer myself to you on a silver platter and it's nothing to you."

She heard a shuffle in the darkness and after a few seconds, felt the bed dip as Gajeel sat at its edge. "I was lookin'," he admitted quietly.

"You were?"

Gajeel grunted in affirmative, nervously scratching the back of his head. Not like she could see him, but his face was on fire. This shit was embarrassing.

He could also hear the hope in her voice. They were walking on dangerous ground. He wanted her more than anything else he had ever wanted in his lifetime, but something was holding him back. The value he placed in her was more than he had in himself. He couldn't fuck that up, not until he knew for sure this was real.

"Yeah, yeah. And it is somethin' to me. Get to sleep, Shrimp," he sighed, lifting the bedding so he could get in next to her. He shucked his shirt before getting under the covers; he could never stand too many layers, especially with another warm body next to him. "We got a long day tomorrow headin' home."

"Right," Levy responded with disappointment, trying to keep her yawn to herself. "Stay with me, though?"

"Mm," he mumbled, finding her smell too relaxing to not give in to.

She wanted to dig further into his mystery, just what they were exactly, but it would have to wait another day. His warmth was relaxing.

They would have to sooner solve the mystery of how they wound up so intertwined and with the best sleep they'd ever had in their lives.


	20. Mine: Natsu, Lucy

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related, that possession belongs to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

 **Sooner or Later** : Mine

 **Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Natsu, Lucy

_June 22, 2014_

* * *

"It was nice meeting you," the handsome stranger had told her, shaking her hand gently. "I hope we run into each other again soon."

They stood outside of a local bookshop. Empty-handed, which was surprising after a trip to said shop, Lucy waved absentmindedly as her mystery man departed. They had spent so much time talking she forgot why she had come to the store in the first place.

Lucy's head was in the clouds. This stranger, who hadn't even told her his name, was charismatic and intelligent. After talking for what felt like an hour, she felt charmed by this man; she didn't know if it had to do with the attention she was receiving or whom she was receiving it from, but Lucy liked it.

Leaning against a nearby pillar, Lucy sighed dreamily with a smile on her face. It was nice, talking to a complete stranger about everything and nothing at all. Literature, current events… only Levy, out of everyone in the guild, held that kind of conversation with her.

Lucy let herself exhale one last happy sigh before pushing off of the pillar. She had to head back to the guild; she promised Natsu that she would meet him at five to leave for their mission. Glancing down at her watch, she saw that time was much later than five.

"Oh, no!" Lucy exclaimed, staring at her watch and hoping the time would magically turn backwards. "Natsu's going to be so—"

"So what?"

Lucy's heart almost leapt out of her chest, suddenly face-to-face with Natsu. He didn't look particularly happy, but—what was he even doing here? How did he know where she was?

She panicked. "I'm sorry! I lost track of time talking—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know what you've been doin'," Natsu responded, crossing his arms over his chest. "We missed the train."

"We did," Lucy sighed, checking her watch again. She pressed a hand to her forehead and groaned.

Natsu shrugged. "I'm not the one worryin' about rent, so…"

Lucy frowned. "Yeah, I know," she shot back with an edge to her voice. Her eyebrows furrowed at his poorly veiled hostility. "Remind me again that I struggle every month to get my rent in on time." When Natsu continued to frown, Lucy rounded on him, "What's your deal?"

"My deal?"

"Yeah," she replied hotly, "your deal."

Growling to himself, Natsu took off in the direction he came. Lucy swore he was mumbling something underneath his breath, but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

"Natsu! Where are you going?" Lucy called, chasing after him. He was a few steps ahead of her and a little out of reach. "Natsu!" she yelled. "Please stop!"

When he had finally stopped, they had reached a wide clearing just on the edge of town. The grass was quite lush and the trees strong as they swayed in the gentle breeze. Lucy would have taken a moment to appreciate the scenery if she didn't have a moody Dragon Slayer on her hands.

"Do you mind telling me what's got you so worked up? I'm sorry I forgot to meet you at the guild, and that we missed our train, but there has to be something else bothering you," Lucy said. Suddenly, she glanced around looking for something—rather, someone. "Wait. Where's Happy?"

"At the guild," he grumbled.

"Why? Wasn't he coming with us?"

"We're not makin' it now, are we?" Natsu snapped.

"Okay, that's it," Lucy growled, stomping her foot on the ground for emphasis. "I'm sick of this attitude. What is your problem?"

Natsu shifted from one foot to the other, looking out across the clearing. "I don't have a problem."

"Yes, you do," she pointed, pushing her finger against his chest a few times to stress each syllable. Her emphasis brought his attention back to her, a frown etched into his features. He stood his ground.

They were in a quaint picnic area, a few couples lounging and eating their suppers while enjoying one another's company. Everything about their location screamed "relaxation" but all she wanted to do was scream at her partner.

"Talk to me!" Lucy growled, taking a step closer.

"Sorry I can't talk to you about books and whatever," he shot back. He averted his eyes from her face, his frown growing deeper.

Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. "What does that have to do with any—"

His hearing ability. Natsu must have heard even part of the conversation that she had with her mystery man. He probably heard all of the things that they were talking about, literature, current events, and other topics that flew right over his head. Natsu probably couldn't keep up and seeing her so happy after that conversation—was he jealous? Or was he feeling hurt and down on himself? Her Natsu?

Lucy took a step back, placing her hands on her hips. She brushed her hair off of her face as it danced around with the wind. "Are you kidding me, Natsu?"

"Kiddin' about what?"

"Dummy," she reached up and knocked her knuckle against his skull. "I can have a conversation with a guy if I want. It may have been nice, and he may have been good looking, but…"

"But?"

"But I'm going to forget about him. It was just a pleasant experience, good conversation. You know the person I'm never going to forget, even if I tried?" she asked, shooting him a look like he should be able to answer this easy question.

"Who? Did you meet someone else—"

Lucy smiled and rolled her eyes. "You, you idiot."

"Oh." He stood, looking confused. She could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Come on, let's head back to the guild," Lucy suggested, linking her arm through Natsu's. She could tell his anger dissipated and his mood was lifting, which was very good. She didn't mean for him to start second-guessing himself over a conversation about books. But, wait…

"Hey, Natsu?" she asked after they had begun walking back in the direction of the guild.

"Yeah?" he replied. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, waiting for her to speak.

"You don't act this way when I go on and on for hours with Levy about books."

Natsu stopped walking, digesting that thought. "Huh. I guess so."

"What does that even mean?" she groaned, rolling her eyes to the heavens in exasperation.

Natsu shrugged, not knowing what he felt at that exact moment. He continued walking, making sure her arm was secure in his. A streak of possessiveness ran through him— _mine_. "You can talk to me, y'know, about boring things like books."

Lucy gave him a tired smile, shaking her head. "Whatever you say, Natsu."


	21. Comfort: Gajeel, Levy, Pantherlily

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Fairy Tail or anything related; that possession belongs to Hiro Mashima.

 **Author's Note** : This was a prompt I received a while ago on Tumblr that I am finally getting around to. The prompt was: " _Levy enters in Gajeel and Lily's apartment for the very first time to take care of a sick Gajeel."_ Short and sweet, hopefully more sensory than anything. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Sooner or Later** : Comfort

 **Character(s)/Pairing(s)** : Gajeel, Levy, Pantherlily

_June 25, 2014_

* * *

The room was dark. Being covered in darkness was typical for Gajeel; however, it was also typical for someone under the weather to block out the world around them while recuperating. The Iron Dragon Slayer hadn't appeared at the guild for a few days and it worried Levy. Nothing took him out of commission, especially not the common cold. So for him to lay low with any kind of illness concerned her enough to seek him out and to possibly— _hopefully_ —nurse him back to health. Knowing the typically brooding man, he wouldn't want to be seen in any moment of weakness and would want to be left alone. Sure, she could have respected his wishes but at this point in their relationship, er... _friendship_... she chose to ignore those wishes and to do what she knew was right.

So, after obtaining a key from Pantherlily and taking a detour from her trip to the library, here she was in Gajeel's small home just on the outskirts of town. With each room she had passed through, she made a map in her memory of the quaint home. It was completely, thoroughly _him_ and every artifact and piece of décor screamed "Gajeel" – it made her smile.

Levy could hear his labored breath as he shifted above the blankets. He was radiating heat; she could feel it against her own skin even though they were nowhere near touching. She stood close to his bed, looking down at him with a frown. She hated seeing him like this, but even Dragon Slayers were susceptible to colds.

Surveying the area, she knew what needed to be done. First, she would tend to her patient. Heading to his bathroom, she grabbed a washcloth and wet it to use as a cold compress to help this heat. When she had gone back and placed it on his forehead, he settled down a bit. She then went to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water and placed it on his nightstand for whenever he woke up. Levy sat down on the bed next to him, timidly running a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face. She hoped the soothing gesture would help. Unfortunately, all it did was rouse him from a fitful sleep.

Gajeel's eyes opened slowly. He groggily looked around, sluggishly realizing he wasn't alone. Seeing no Lily, but the Shrimp, he sighed and closed his eyes, not having enough strength to complain or put up a fight.

"What are you," he cleared his throat, and she could hear that movement alone hurt, "doin' here?"

"Shh," she replied. "I'm just here to help. Please drink this."

Holding out a glass of water for the man, she watched him drink like a dying man that had been wandering through the desert.

"Oh!" she gasped, reaching to her side to fish out a small pack of medicine she had brought with her. "Take these, too. Porlyusica said it would help at least bring your fever down."

"Thanks," he rasped, lying back on the pillows after taking the medicine and gulping the pills down.

"Don't mention it," she replied, brushing his hair back once again. "You should get some rest. We can clean you up in a bit and try to get you to eat something. For now, though, rest."

Gajeel nodded slowly, obviously too sick to retort about "getting him clean" and she was grateful for it because he needed to hold onto any piece of strength he had in order to get better. It didn't take him long to drift off, a calmer look across his features than before.

Her presence did the trick, unbeknownst to her; that's why Lily had sent her to him.

While he slept, she made herself busy by cleaning bits and pieces of his apartment, and when Lily finally returned to the home later in the evening he couldn't help but smirk at how easy it was for the two of them to look so… _domestic_ , sitting and cuddling on the couch with a book.


End file.
